What is your advice to one who insists on ruling that one who died in battle is a martyr?
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The questioner : ... It is said to those who heard this statement and heard this detail, "O Shaykh, he clings to it, meaning... he is overcome by arrogance in sin, so we often warn him against declaring someone a martyr, but he says, 'He did not go there except to...'"
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So what is your advice, O Shaykh, in this matter?
The Shaykh : By Allah, my advice is that they are mistaken. What is the harm to them in whether this man is a martyr or not a martyr? He is to be hoped for as a martyr without doubt, because he went, and it appears that he did not go and leave his family, his homeland, and his wealth except to fight in the cause of Allah; that is what appears. But for us to testify that he is a martyr necessitates that we testify that he is in Paradise, because there is no martyr except that he is in Paradise, and this is forbidden and not permissible. The scholars in their creed, the people of the Sunnah, say that we do not testify to Paradise except for one whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specifically testified for. Some scholars added: or for one upon whom the Ummah agreed to praise, such as the four Imams and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, for example, and the like of those whom the Muslims or the Imams of Islam agreed to praise. Yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you... if he was killed in battle...
The Shaykh : And I think that al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said, he made a chapter heading on this in his statement.
The questioner : Chapter...
The Shaykh :"Chapter: It is not said that so-and-so is a martyr". Yes, that is right. Yes?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So what is your advice, O Shaykh, in this matter?
The Shaykh : By Allah, my advice is that they are mistaken. What is the harm to them in whether this man is a martyr or not a martyr? He is to be hoped for as a martyr without doubt, because he went, and it appears that he did not go and leave his family, his homeland, and his wealth except to fight in the cause of Allah; that is what appears. But for us to testify that he is a martyr necessitates that we testify that he is in Paradise, because there is no martyr except that he is in Paradise, and this is forbidden and not permissible. The scholars in their creed, the people of the Sunnah, say that we do not testify to Paradise except for one whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specifically testified for. Some scholars added: or for one upon whom the Ummah agreed to praise, such as the four Imams and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, for example, and the like of those whom the Muslims or the Imams of Islam agreed to praise. Yes.
The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah reward you... if he was killed in battle...
The Shaykh : And I think that al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) said, he made a chapter heading on this in his statement.
The questioner : Chapter...
The Shaykh :"Chapter: It is not said that so-and-so is a martyr". Yes, that is right. Yes?